The invention relates to blower-vacuum apparatus and more particularly an improved air intake cover.
A blower- vacuum apparatus ingests large volumes of air through an air intake opening in the housing of the apparatus.
A serious problem associated with such prior devices is that there is a tendency for clothing and small objects to be ingested into the air intake opening. When operating as a blower the apparatus is held alongside the hip and thigh region of the body. When it is close to the body clothing and other objects such as loose cloth are drawn into the air intake opening.
Problems are created by this tendency because there is (i) a small opening and the suction force per unit area is large, and (ii) the protective cover for the air intake opening is generally a grate providing openings in the vicinity of clothing through which the clothing is attracted.
Such prior art devices are displayed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,325,163 and 4,644,606 to Mattson and Luerken respectively.